Child Pornography And Terrorism Websites To Be Blocked, Decrees the French Government

The Internet service providers must assume social responsibility while spreading the content in France as the French government has ordered them to block all the websites which forward terrorism and child pornography. After taking the much needed initiative, the government has obliged ISPs to conform the commands once they receive them officially.

According to VentureBeat, the authorities were already, since summer, thinking about these regulations but recent shootings last month at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and Kosher market compelled the government to bring them into practice.

These incidents have forced French authorities to reconsider its mind frame over the free speech and public security. Additionally, the French government is seeking help from top-notch Internet entities including Google and Facebook in order to attain greater power over the distribution of terrorism and violence-related content.

As per the new rules, the French government and the police will be empowered to file applications to stop propagation of any content which falls in the category of child porn or terrorism. ISPs are being given one favor which is they can request the country executive for compensation, if they think compliance with the new regulations can cost them.

The sites will not be totally disappeared; they will remain active. But instead of showing the content which they would previously be showing, they will display a text which will explain that the site was blocked by acting upon the government’s request.

However, the libertarian advocates have abhorred this very proposal of putting restrictions on the freedom of speech. For example, La Quadrature du Net, which opposes digital censorship, has condemned the decree. The organization is likely to drag the government in court for the matter.

“With this decree establishing the administrative censorship for Internet content, France once again circumvents the judicial power, betraying the separation of powers in limiting what is the first freedom of all in a democracy — freedom of speech,” said Felix Tréguer, founding member of La Quadrature du Net, in a statement.